“All of us at Ford consider corporate responsibility a key part of who we are as a business,” says Jim Vella, President of Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. The truth in that statement is evident in the work the company has done in the community over the years. The goal of the Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services is to support initiatives and institutions that enhance and improve opportunities for those who live in the communities where Ford operates. They work with and support not-for-profit organizations in three major areas: innovation and education, community development and American legacy, and auto-related safety education.
As part of their education initiative, Ford awards deserving high school students a variety of scholarships and grants. One such scholarship, Heart Behind the Oval, recognizes students who share the values of giving back by volunteering. In 1997, Ford opened the Henry Ford Academy, the nation’s first charter school created jointly by a global corporation, public education and a major nonprofit cultural institution. Today, the school boasts attendance and graduations rates that average 95%, and 100% of Ford Academy graduates are accepted into college.
In 2005, the Ford Volunteer Corps was created as a way to unify goodwill and individual efforts to improve the community. Today, FVC is comprised of employees and retirees across six continents. Ford encourages salaried employees to dedicate at least two workdays a year to volunteering. Several times a year, they participate in Ford Accelerated Action Days, with projects concentrating on a different theme each time. In September of each year, Ford sponsors a global week of caring, uniting volunteers across the world. For more information on Ford’s volunteer programs, visit this website.
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